Gene Kliewer • Houston
MEO Australia Ltd. has contracted Fugro Multi Client Services Pty. Ltd. to acquire and process 323 sq km (125 sq mi) of 3D multi-client seismic survey (Zeus 3D survey) taken offshore Western Australia in Carnarvon basin permit WA-361-P. The area is near the existing North West Shelf gas project, the Pluto LNG project currently under construction, and the proposed Wheatstone LNG project.
The 3D survey is designed to improve the mapping of Heracles and other leads as candidates for drilling in 2014. The survey covers an area of poor seismic data quality and also fills some gaps in the 3D seismic coverage for this area. In addition, the 3D survey is being acquired in an east-to-west direction to enhanced imaging via multi-azimuth reprocessing.
The 3D survey over WA-361-P is part of a 1,318 sq km (509 sq mi) multi-client survey by theM/V Seisquest. The final processed volume is expected to be delivered during 2Q-2012.
The 3D survey brings forward and fulfils the minimum Permit Year 2 (Jan. 2012 – Jan. 2013) work program commitment.
ThePGS Crystal III wide-azimuth survey looks at the Gulf of Mexico East Breaks. This multi-client survey is available now, in time for the scheduled Lease Sale 218 on Dec. 14, 2011.
PGS is ready to deliver data from its Crystal III wide-azimuth survey in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of the scheduled Dec. 14 Lease Sale 218.
This survey covers 485 OCS blocks, or 11,300 sq km (4,363 sq mi) in East Breaks and Alaminos Canyon subsalt over the western portion of the Lower Tertiary Wilcox play. No subsalt wells have yet been drilled in this region.
The Wilcox is an active exploration play in the deepwater GoM, with significant discoveries to the south of Crystal III in Alaminos Canyon (Great White) and to the east in Keathley Canyon (Kaskida, Tiber, and Hadrian), and in Walker Ridge (Jack). Studies suggest reservoir-quality Wilcox sediments may be present in East Breaks in a deepwater sandy fan environment. Oil and gas production from the Diana-Hoover and Nansen-Boomvang fields indicates that there is a functioning hydrocarbon charge and migration system in this area as well.
It has been difficult to accurately image deep structure in the western Gulf of Mexico with conventional 3D narrow-azimuth seismic. The geology of this region includes tight compressional folding and multiple levels of salt sheets, diapirs, and welds overlain by a massive Oligocene shale section. PGS addresses this with an imaging strategy focused on Tilted Transverse Isotropy Beam migration and Reverse Time Migration. Applied to state-of-the-art wide azimuth data, these products should improve prospecting for subsalt targets in the undrilled frontier portion of the Wilcox Trend.
IHS Inc. has agreed to acquire Seismic Micro-Technology for $500 million, pending completion of regulatory approvals.
"The acquisition of SMT will increase the ability of IHS to offer mission-critical geoscience software and data products to customers in our largest end-market, Energy, and give SMT customers the ability to seamlessly access the critical oil and gas information and insight products of IHS," said Jerre Stead, IHS chairman and CEO.
"We and IHS agreed to this transaction in order to invest in KINGDOM and accelerate its growth," said Arshad Matin, president and CEO of SMT.
Spectrum has agreed to acquire the 2D multi-client library of CGGVeritas encompassing more than 500,000 km (310,686 mi) of seismic data for $40 million.
Spectrum says its library now exceeds 1 million km of 2D multi-client seismic data covering all major sedimentary basins worldwide. Reprocessing of several projects in the library is already underway both by CGGVeritas and Spectrum. Spectrum says it will systematically review and strategically reprocess surveys as required.
CGGVeritas will become a major shareholder in Spectrum with a 25% stake and will have one representative on the Spectrum board of directors.
Following the announcement Spectrum's CEO, Rune Eng, commented that "this transaction is an excellent strategic fit. For Spectrum it more than doubles the library overnight and broadens the footprint of our business with exciting new opportunities to offer to our clients."
Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (EMGS) has agreed to acquire OHM Surveys Holding AS, a marine electromagnetic (EM) acquisition company, for $15.75 million in a stock-for-stock transaction.
As a part of the transaction, EMGS agrees with Seatrans to charter theOHM Leader and OHM Express on a pay-per-use basis. The vessels will, at no standby cost, be ready to mobilize on three-, six-, or 12-month charters over the next 42 months (OHM Leader) and 30 months (OHM Express). EMGS will equip these two purpose-converted EM vessels with its custom-designed acquisition set, giving the vessels the ability to acquire the same 3D EM data as is obtained by EMGS's purpose-built 3D EM vessels.
The transaction also includes a pre-paid service agreement of $2.6 million between OHM and Rock Solid Images, which provides EMGS with additional processing capacity and expertise.
